Letter: GOP health care plan hurts small business owners

July 5, 2017

To the Editor:

Senate Republicans have been working behind closed doors on a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this month, and the secretive nature of this process is very concerning to me as a small business owner. Since the public has no idea what the bill consists of, I’m worried about how this legislation will impact my insurance and the future of my business.

After the passage of the ACA, my husband, who also is a business owner, and I enrolled in Illinois’ state marketplace, Get Covered Illinois. This plan was a huge financial safety net, and allowed me to keep my business open despite my cancer diagnosis last year. While details of the Senate plan still are unknown, the House’s replacement plan would allow states to opt out of many of the ACA’s protections and set up costly high-risk pools for those with pre-existing conditions, like me. If this bill passes, either my husband or I would be forced to leave our businesses to find employer-sponsored coverage.

And many entrepreneurs across the country, especially those with pre-existing conditions, are facing the same fate. That’s why I encourage the Senate to drop any attempts to repeal the ACA.

Sue McDonald

Niles

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